Your neighborhood

Jacqueline Develle wrote in the March 1 paper, “Why do we have to be BOMBarded day after day with frightening, deafening and house-rattling explosions?” Bonnie Wright wrote in the March 8 paper about Camp Pendleton’s “constant – in one way or another – disruption of the peace and quiet that we should at least occasionally be entitled to in our homes.”

Is it possible that these women were unaware that they live right next to one of the largest Marine Corps training camps in the US? Camp Pendleton is no newcomer, as these two apparently are; in fact, it was established in 1942 and spans over 125,000 acres.

As stated in the March 1 letter, it seems that Jacqueline is unaware that the Marines (look up the definition of Marine) need to practice near and over the ocean and that there just isn’t any available in the desert, “far from human beings who live very different lives to the military.”

Poor Jacqueline continues to be confounded over the so-called prevailing attitude of “like it or lump it” in regards to living right next to a huge Marine Corps training camp. I imagine she’s receiving that particular reply from people rather than the knee-jerk, but perhaps insensitive, response of “Are you crazy?”

I am convinced that if we all take a good look at our potential neighborhoods prior to moving there, we can intelligently decide if it’s right for us. If we choose to ignore the facts surrounding us (such as an enormous Marine Corps training camp right next door) we should just keep our opinions to ourselves so we don’t seem really dumb.

Liz Chandler

Murrieta